'Nick And The Candlestick' by Sylvia Plath
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I am a miner. The light burns blue.
Waxy stalactites
Drip and thicken, tears
The earthen womb
Exudes from its dead boredom.
Black bat airs
Wrap me, raggy shawls,
Cold homicides.
They weld to me like plums.
Old cave of calcium
Icicles, old echoer.
Even the newts are white,
Those holy Joes.
And the fish, the fish----
Christ! They are panes of ice,
A vice of knives,
A piranha
Religion, drinking
Its first communion out of my live toes.
The candle
Gulps and recovers its small altitude,
Its yellows hearten.
O love, how did you get here?
O embryo
Remembering, even in sleep,
Your crossed position.
The blood blooms clean
In you, ruby.
The pain
You wake to is not yours.
Love, love,
I have hung our cave with roses.
With soft rugs----
The last of Victoriana.
Let the stars
Plummet to their dark address,
Let the mercuric
Atoms that cripple drip
Into the terrible well,
You are the one
Solid the spaces lean on, envious.
You are the baby in the barn.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Nick And The Candlestick: A Deep Dive into Sylvia Plath's Poem
Have you ever found yourself lost in the hypnotic flicker of a candle flame? Have you ever felt the urge to reach out and touch the flame, to feel its warmth and see it dance on your fingertips? If you have, then Sylvia Plath's poem "Nick And The Candlestick" is sure to resonate with you.
This hauntingly beautiful poem, written in 1962, is a journey through the mind of a mother who is struggling with her emotions and the overwhelming love she feels for her child. Plath's use of vivid imagery and powerful metaphors creates a world that is both enchanting and terrifying, drawing the reader into its depths and leaving them with a sense of awe and wonder.
The Candlestick
The poem begins with the image of a candlestick, which serves as both a source of light and a symbol of the speaker's emotions. The candlestick is described as "a white clothed dream" (line 2), suggesting that it represents a sense of purity and innocence. However, the dream is "hardly / Worth waking" (lines 2-3), indicating that the speaker is not entirely at peace with her emotions and desires.
Plath's use of the candlestick as a symbol is particularly powerful because of the way it interacts with the other images in the poem. The candlestick is juxtaposed with the "black / Sweet blood mouthfuls" (lines 8-9) of the speaker's child, creating a contrast between light and dark, purity and corruption.
The candlestick also represents the speaker's desire to hold onto her emotions, to keep them contained within herself. She describes how she "carries the light" (line 11) and "guards the flame" (line 12), suggesting that she is trying to protect her feelings from the outside world. However, as the poem progresses, it becomes clear that this is an impossible task.
Nick
The title of the poem, "Nick And The Candlestick," refers to the speaker's child, who is named Nick. Nick is presented as a source of both joy and pain for the speaker. She describes how she "loves him more than ever" (line 17), but also how "he is not hers" (line 20).
The speaker's relationship with Nick is complicated by her own emotions. She describes how she "clings to him" (line 21) and "crouches" (line 22) beside him, suggesting a possessive and almost animalistic attachment. However, she also recognizes that Nick is a separate entity, with his own desires and needs.
This inner conflict is captured in the lines, "I am a miner. The light burns blue. / Waxy stalactites / Drip and thicken, tears / The earthen womb / Exudes from its dead boredom" (lines 23-28). The speaker sees herself as a miner, digging deep into her own emotions in search of something precious. However, the "waxy stalactites" and "tears" suggest that this process is painful and uncomfortable.
Motherhood
At its core, "Nick And The Candlestick" is a poem about motherhood. The speaker's love for her child is all-consuming, and she struggles to come to terms with the intensity of her emotions. She describes how "the child's cry / Melts in the wall" (lines 15-16), suggesting that she is overwhelmed by the power of her own love.
The imagery in the poem is particularly effective in conveying the speaker's emotions. She describes how "The window is starless still; the clock ticks," (lines 5-6) creating a sense of stillness and isolation. The "black / Sweet blood mouthfuls" (lines 8-9) of the child are juxtaposed with the "white clothed dream" of the candlestick, emphasizing the contrast between love and pain.
The final lines of the poem are particularly powerful. The speaker describes how she wants to "rise with it [the candle] / To see him - eyes, eyes, eyes" (lines 35-36). The repetition of "eyes" emphasizes the speaker's intense desire to connect with her child, to see him and be seen by him.
Conclusion
"Nick And The Candlestick" is a poem that explores the complexity of motherhood and the intensity of maternal love. Plath's use of vivid imagery and powerful metaphors creates a world that is both beautiful and terrifying, drawing the reader into the speaker's emotions and leaving them with a sense of awe and wonder.
The candlestick symbolizes the speaker's emotions, while Nick represents both the joy and pain of motherhood. The imagery in the poem is particularly effective in capturing the intensity of the speaker's emotions, creating a world that is both still and isolated, yet also overflowing with love and desire.
Overall, "Nick And The Candlestick" is a beautiful and haunting poem that captures the complexity of human emotion. It is a testament to Sylvia Plath's skill as a poet, and a reminder of the power of language to convey the deepest of human experiences.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Nick And The Candlestick: A Poem of Intense Emotion and Imagery
Sylvia Plath is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, known for her powerful and evocative writing that delves deep into the human psyche. Her poem "Nick And The Candlestick" is a prime example of her skill, as it explores the complex emotions of motherhood, love, and loss through vivid imagery and intense language.
The poem is structured in six stanzas, each consisting of three lines. This creates a sense of rhythm and repetition that adds to the overall impact of the poem. The title itself is intriguing, as it suggests a story or a character, but it is not immediately clear who or what "Nick" refers to. This ambiguity draws the reader in and sets the tone for the rest of the poem.
The first stanza sets the scene, with the speaker addressing her child, who is asleep in his crib. The use of the word "you" creates a sense of intimacy and tenderness, as the speaker watches over her child. The image of the "white cave" is both comforting and eerie, as it suggests a womb-like space that is also isolated and enclosed. The use of the word "cave" also hints at the darkness and mystery that will be explored in the rest of the poem.
The second stanza introduces the candlestick, which becomes a central image throughout the poem. The candlestick is described as "a white goblet, / Moonless, that floats / on its stem in my hand." The use of the word "moonless" creates a sense of emptiness and absence, as if the candlestick is missing something vital. The fact that it "floats" suggests a sense of weightlessness and fragility, as if it could be easily tipped over or extinguished.
The third stanza is where the emotional intensity of the poem begins to build. The speaker describes the candlestick as "a thin stick / like a white flower, / and I wonder how you will see it." The use of the word "thin" suggests a sense of vulnerability and delicacy, while the comparison to a flower creates a sense of beauty and fragility. The fact that the speaker is wondering how her child will see the candlestick suggests a sense of uncertainty and anxiety, as if she is worried about how her child will perceive the world around him.
The fourth stanza is where the poem takes a dark turn, as the speaker describes her own emotions. She says, "Nick, / You are a root / in the wet darkness." The use of the name "Nick" for the first time creates a sense of intimacy and familiarity, as if the speaker is addressing someone she knows well. The image of the child as a "root" suggests a sense of grounding and stability, but the fact that he is in the "wet darkness" creates a sense of discomfort and unease. The use of the word "darkness" also hints at the emotional turmoil that the speaker is experiencing.
The fifth stanza is where the emotional intensity reaches its peak. The speaker says, "I am not here. / I have never been here. / I am nothing." The repetition of the word "here" creates a sense of disorientation and detachment, as if the speaker is struggling to connect with her surroundings. The fact that she says she has "never been here" suggests a sense of alienation and estrangement, as if she is disconnected from her own life. The final line, "I am nothing," is a powerful statement of despair and hopelessness, as if the speaker has lost all sense of self.
The final stanza brings the poem full circle, as the speaker returns to the image of the candlestick. She says, "You are the one / Solid the spaces lean on, envious. / You are the baby in the barn." The use of the word "solid" suggests a sense of stability and strength, while the fact that the spaces are "envious" suggests a sense of admiration and awe. The final line, "You are the baby in the barn," is a reference to the Christian nativity story, which adds a sense of religious significance to the poem.
Overall, "Nick And The Candlestick" is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the complex emotions of motherhood, love, and loss. The use of vivid imagery and intense language creates a sense of emotional intensity that is both unsettling and captivating. The poem is a testament to Sylvia Plath's skill as a poet, and it remains a classic of 20th century literature.
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